Vincent-Janssen

Since reaching the final of the 2010 World Cup, the Netherlands have been on a downward trajectory. This was evident at the 2012 Euros when they finished bottom of their group and again when they failed to qualify for this Summers competition. Even though they reached the semi-final of the 2014 World Cup, this success masked over the underlying problems. It was more the management of Louis van Gaal and the system that he installed rather than the players that attributed to their success in Brazil.

The Dutch are now in a transitional stage. The old guard of Robin van Persie, Nigel de Jong and Rafael van der Vaart were omitted from the recent squad to face France and England. Wesley Sneijder, Kevin Strootman and Arjen Robben were absent through injury. In their place were several younger players that have been handed their chance, one of which is AZ Alkmaar’s Vincent Janssen.

Janssen made his debut for the Oranje as an 82nd minute substitute against France, where he replaced goal scorer Luuk de Jong. He was given his full debut in their subsequent game against England at Wembley. The 21-year-old scored from the spot after 50 minutes and also set up the winning goal in the 77th minute.

The 21-year-old has now scored 27 goals in all competitions so far this season and he is one of the hottest names in the Eredivisie. Janssen is currently the leagues leading goal scorer with 21 goals and that is an impressive feat in his debut season at the top level.

Buying an up-and-coming striker whilst he’s still a relatively unknown is a risky strategy in the transfer market but it can pay dividends on Soccer Manager!

Prior to joining AZ last Summer, Janssen spent two seasons at Almere City, after he was released by Dutch giants Feyenoord in the Summer of 2013. In his debut season for Almere City he scored 10 goals and this was followed by 19 last season.

His goal scoring form has not only caught the attention of the Netherlands manager, Danny Blind, but also that of PSG, Everton and Manchester United, who have all recently sent scouts to watch him in action against PSV. This has come as now surprise as the press in the Netherlands are going crazy for him and they have compared him to former Oranje and Manchester United striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The comparisons with Ruud van Nistelrooy are understandable.

“Janssen has all the right skills for centre-forward.” His former manager at Almere City, Fred Grim, stated. “He keeps the ball well with his back to the goal. He knows how to position himself. He is quick and makes the right movements. He works hard without the ball and puts a lot of pressure on the defenders.”

“Importantly, he is two footed, which makes his moves in the penalty area difficult to predict – he can go right, and he can go left. A lot of strikers can only shoot with one foot, and they are much easier to mark. Vincent has the right mentality. He is always willing to learn, very open and dedicated. He is an easy player to coach, because he always listens.”

Voetbal International’s, Tasco van den Velde, worte that “Vincent Janssen has given Holland hope again.” This is understandable as the Dutch want a new generation to take over and make their national team great again.

If Vincent Janssen continues with his current development and chooses his next move wisely (as there are a number of clubs queuing to sign him this Summer), then there is every chance that he can become a regular at international level and be part of the new Oranje generation for years to come.

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Dirt-Kuyt

You don’t have to be a native Dutch speaker to have enjoyed the video featuring Dirk Kuyt and his children that was circulated across the internet in the summer.

In the 90 second-long clip, the former Liverpool forward reveals that he is returning to Feyenoord, the club he represented for three years between 2003 and 2006 and whom his kids support, following his exit from Turkish side Fenerbahce. Kuyt’s sons and daughter are visibly delighted by the news, just as the thousands of fans who gathered at the De Kuip stadium for his official presentation also were.

“One of the disappointing things from my first spell is that I never won a trophy,” the 35-year-old told those who had flocked to the ground on a warm July day. “I certainly have the ambition to do that this time. Feyenoord’s financially difficult period is behind us, and a very talented team has been put together.”

The statement went down well, but no-one could have expected Kuyt to make the impact that he has. At the time of writing, only Ajax’s Luuk de Jong (13) has scored more goals in the Eredivisie than the ex-Netherlands international’s 11, with Kuyt’s strikes playing a big part in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side’s rise to second place, just three points behind Frank de Boer’s Ajax outfit. There is growing hope in Rotterdam that the club could end their long 17-year wait for a league title this term.

Kuyt has always been known as a team player, someone who is willing to put a shift in for his manager and sacrifice himself for the collective. Such an attitude saw him regularly deployed out on the flank for Liverpool, where he could be relied upon to track back defensively, and he even spent time playing as a wing-back at international level in Louis van Gaal’s 3-5-2 formation at the World Cup last year.

At Feyenoord, though, he has always been known as a prolific marksman. In his first spell at the club, Kuyt netted 83 times in 122 appearances in all competitions and finished as the Eredivisie top scorer in 2004/05 with 29 goals, beating the likes of Salomon Kalou, Arouna Kone, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Jan Venegoor of Hesselink to the prize.

After nine years away, Kuyt has simply picked up from where he left off, with memorable hat-tricks claimed against Heerenveen and AZ within the space of a week in late October. He may now be 35, but Kuyt remains extremely fit: he has played every minute of Feyenoord’s 14 Eredivisie encounters this season, as well as two full domestic cup games.

He has brought more than just goals to the team, too: the captain leads by example from the top of the pitch, working tirelessly with and without the ball and encouraging his team-mates to do the same. The adoration within which he is held on the terraces provides an invaluable link between squad and supporters, while his vast experience is of great benefit to his many younger colleagues.

Ajax and PSV remain favourites to lift the Eredivisie title in May, but with Kuyt rolling back the years at De Kuip, Feyenoord are daring to dream again.

About the Author – Greg Lea

Freelance football writer. Work published by FourFourTwo, The Guardian, World Soccer, Goal, The National, Squawka, Eurosport, The Blizzard + others.

Twitter @GregLeaFootball

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5-Talented-CBs

Podcasts, forums, opinion articles and talk shows almost always clash over the standards of todays defending. Are attackers simply much better than they were a decade ago when Italian Serie A sides were disappointed to let one goal in. Do attackers get the benefit of the doubt for big decisions? Or are defenders simply getting worse? Many would argue that defending has simply changed; no longer are tackles from behind allowed. The modern defender must rely on speed, power, ariel presence. But most importantly with the possession based football that has emerged over the past 5 years, be able to distribute from the back outwards.

These five talents from all corners of the globe demonstrate all of the key areas needed to become a top centre-back on a regular basis. Although, only time will tell if they will have glittering careers like Maldini, Nesta and Cannavaro before them, but their first steps to stardom have been impressive ones.

Eder Alvarez Balanta – River Plate

Balanta will be a familiar name to many, a player that almost always pops up on this type of list. But that is because he has yet to fulfil his massive potential. At only 22 years of age the 6″1 Colombian seems to have been around for a number of years and was tipped to have a bright future in the very opening stages of his career, but injuries have curtailed his progression. He has been on the treatment table so much that he has only made 51 senior appearances for River and 6 at international level for Colombia.  Despite his extensive injury list, Balanta is blessed with pace, power and skill – so much so that he drew early comparisons to Colombian legend Daniel Passarella. Couple that with ariel prowess and fine balance Balanta seems destined for the top – if only he could stay injury free.

Jeison Murillo – Internazionale

Another Colombian, Murillo recently secured the first big money move of his career joining Roberto Mancini’s Internazionale for €8m. Murillo comes from similar stock to Balanta – fast, powerful and with delicate feet he impressed greatly for Granada last season despite the Andalusian’s finishing in 17th position. Although there lies a streak of naivety in Murillo’s game current Colombia coach Jose Peckerman has unmatched trust in his ability and used him extensively in this years Copa America. Murillo impressed so much that he was voted into the Team of the Tournament and scooped the aware for the Best Young Player at the tournament. What may be even sweeter was his game winning goal against Brazil in their 2-0 win.

Eric Bertrand Bailly – Villarreal

A €5,7m transfer from Espanyol last January, Bailly has transformed himself into an ever present for the side from Vila-Real. As El Submarino Amarillo have raced up to the heights of La Liga, the Ivorian has impressed with his speed, strength and will to win. Made his tournament, and international, debut at this year’s African Nations Cup and impressed, shoring up an area of the Ivorian team that was deemed to be the weakest. Although Bailly has gained many plaudits, he remains somewhat of a diamond in the rough – his decisions and distribution need work for him to become a top-level central defender.

Jairo Riedewald – Ajax Amsterdam

Another Dutch player with Surinamese heritage, Riedewald was capped in the senior side at a mere 18 years of age after impressing for Holland’s most successful club. As far as comparisons go, Riedewald has been compared to some greats; Koeman and Rijkaard most notably. Many see the youngster captaining the national team in the future. But first, steps must be taken to hone his game at club level. Although impressive in many areas, Riedewald’s earliest forays into the professional game before the departures of Nicolas Moisander and Stefano Denswil shifted him into a central position – as such his ariel game is nowhere near as good as his distribution. As with any Ajax bred defender, Riedewald is exceptional with both feet and can start attacks from his base at the heart of Ajax’s central pairing.

Niklas Süle – Hoffenheim

In a time where the Bundesliga is producing a magnificent crop of defenders, Süle is surely one to look out for. At 6″4 there are not many players who appear as intimidating as the young German, but what many people underestimate about Süle is his footballing brain. Aggressive defending something that the Bundesliga has become known for since it’s revamped fast-flowing counter attacking style came to prominence with the rise of Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern, but Süle’s reading of the game is magnificent. His anticipation is second to none, and he often tops the charts for interceptions per game, averaging at 2.2 last season. As good with his feet as he is with his head, Süle is one of the more complete ‘modern’ defenders and like Jairo Riedewald, is more than adept at distributing from the back. Surely destined for the top with his impressive performances.

About the Author – Ben Jarman

Freelance football writer with a penchant for Spanish and European football. Work published by Fulham FC, Italian FA and the Evening Standard.

Twitter: @sonikkicks

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Long-Term-Identity-and-Success

Identity is underrated in football, but style is revered. However, style comes directly from the identity of a team, which can come in two forms – formation and player type. Over the years so many successful teams have had a strong identity coupled with a unique style of play, stemming from a good relationship between the formation and players used within it. In short, think of Barcelona from 2009-2011.

Identity is the nitty-gritty aspects of the game. Drills, formation training, the thinking behind how quickly opponents should be shut down, who to mark at set pieces – zonal or man mark? The basics that come with identity allow for style – the tricks and flicks.

That Barcelona team had a formation that was implemented and perfected over a number of years under Rijkaard and to a more prominent extent, Guardiola. Guardiola in particular was especially good at identifying the correct style of player to use in his formation. A simple square peg, square hole philosophy. Over time, Barcelona grew an identity that was desired by clubs worldwide; their high pressing, quick passing, through the lines football was quite simply breathtaking. No club side has come close to emulating the Catalans so far.

In South America, we’ll include Mexico for now, international teams are steeped in tradition. Managers will come and go on a regular basis, but formation and player type will almost always remain. Chile and Mexico are prime examples of sides who have used the same formations for a number of years and as such have claimed success in recent times. Using the 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 systems, each team built on their impressive World Cup appearances with silverware over the summer.

Chile have been particularly impressive and under Marcelo Bielsa disciple Jorge Sampaoli have really pushed on in the last two years, culminating in Copa America success this summer. Their style is derived from a formation that concentrates on utilising the players to the best of their ability. Although they rely heavily on Sanchez, Vidal and Vargas as a collective they are a force to be reckoned with and their defeat of Australia in the World Cup demonstrated how Chile can turn on the style at the drop of a hat. Their high pressure game draws similarities with Barcelona, but the style is wholly different as their ball retention is a slower and a lot less methodical. It can be argued that with their 2-0 victory over Brazil in the opening stages of CONMEBOL qualifying that Chile are now the strongest force in South America, in a formation and philosophy they have implemented over a number of years.

Mexico have also been under long-term guidance but this has changed in very recent times, since Miguel Herrera was removed from the hot seat after punching a reporter post their Gold Cup win. El Tri were desperately unlucky to lose to a resurgent Netherlands in the last 16 of the World Cup, but their electric style won them many fans. However, after Herrera’s dismissal Mexico have struggled for form, mainly due to a change in formation. Ricardo Ferretti is current caretaker boss and his orthodox 4-4-2 style is not suited to his squad, as a result Mexico suffered a humiliating draw with Trinidad and Tobago. With a crucial play off against the USA for the final Conferations Cup spot just around the corner it is almost certain that they will revert back to their traditional 5-3-2.

In Europe, things are starting to change. Long term philosophy was not necessarily the key for a number of sides, rather trying to fit players into formations that they were not suited to. However, Wales have taken the first steps to implementing a long-term identity by changing their formation to suit a squad, that outside of Bale and Ramsey, is really quite limited. Their adaptation of the 3-5-2 has come with a ‘hint of World Cup 2014′, as their use of wing-backs echoes the playing styles of Mexico, Chile and the Netherlands in the tournament. As such, their defensive record has improved massively, as two goals conceded in seven goals certainly suggests. Players such as Jazz Richard (full-back), Joe Ledley and of course Gareth Bale have particularly impressed over Wales’ outstanding qualifying campaign.

The Netherlands, have gone in a completely opposite direction. The team that impressed so greatly in the World Cup has been dismantled and reverted back to a 4-3-3 that simply no longer suits them or the player pool available to Danny Blind. It is noticeable that Blind is well out of his depth at this level.

Success almost always comes from long-term processes that are put in place, continuity between formations and playing style is wholly undervalued. Smaller teams are starting to adapt to long-term strategies and are achieving success, thus closing the gap in world football. Until big teams adapt this strategy, there will continue to be upsets.

About the Author – Ben Jarman

Freelance football writer with a penchant for Spanish and European football. Work published by Fulham FC, Italian FA and the Evening Standard.

Twitter: @sonikkicks

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Netherlands-Euro-2016

Last summer, an unfancied Netherlands team reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Brazil, losing on penalties to Argentina before comprehensively beating the hosts in the third place play-off. 15 months on, the Dutch find themselves on the brink of failing to reach Euro 2016 after a dismal qualification campaign.

The Netherlands’ run to the last four of the World Cup in 2014 was a fine achievement for manager Louis van Gaal. Drawn alongside holders Spain, an up-and-coming Chile and difficult-to-beat Australia, many predicted that the Netherlands would not even make it past the group stage, but the current Manchester United boss succeeded with a pragmatic, counter-attacking approach and 5-3-2 formation that went against many of the traditional Dutch ideals.

Indeed, regardless of the third-place finish in Brazil, there was unease in some quarters at the style of play that had been employed to get that far; despite being home to only 16.8 million people, an attacking, proactive and entertaining way of doing things has always been seen as equally – or perhaps even more – important as winning in the Netherlands.

When Van Gaal departed at the end of the tournament to join United, the KNVB decided they would attempt to return to the days of 4-3-3 and possession-based football that the Netherlands became famous for in the 1970s. In hindsight, those intentions – while admirable – look to have been severely flawed.

Guus Hiddink, the veteran Dutch coach who has managed Real Madrid and Chelsea at club level and South Korea, Australia, Russia and Turkey in the international game – as well as a four-year spell in charge of his home country between 1994 and 1998 – was the man chosen to lead the project, with Danny Blind set to take over from the 68-year-old after the Euros in what seemed like a well-thought-out succession plan.

The Netherlands immediately ran into problems, though, losing to Czech Republic in their opening encounter before unconvincingly defeating Kazakhstan in Amsterdam and succumbing to a 2-0 defeat to Iceland in Reykjavik. As the months rolled on, it became increasingly clear that the current Dutch side is simply not good enough to play the style of football that the authorities wanted to reintroduce.

It would be unfair to claim that there is no talent in this Netherlands outfit. Memphis Depay, Jordy Clasie and Georginio Wijnaldum are all gifted youngsters with huge potential, while Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder have been among the best players in their position in the world at various points over the last five years.

In between those two groups, though, the pool is rather shallow: there are no real Dutch stars between the ages of 26 and 30, the theoretical prime of a player’s career.

There is no way of knowing whether a more pragmatic, counter-attacking approach would have aided the Netherlands in their attempt to reach Euro 2016; had they followed the template that got them to the World Cup semi-finals, though, it is likely that they would have been able to qualify automatically by finishing in the top two of Group A.

Instead, the Dutch have already passed up that chance and will now battle it out with Turkey for a place in the play-offs. Blind’s charges are two points behind the Turks with two matches remaining: the Dutch take on Kazakhstan on Saturday and Czech Republic on Tuesday, with Turkey facing the Czechs and Iceland on the same days.

The situation is thus out of the Netherlands’ hands. The increased format of the European Championship from 16 teams to 24 was supposed to make it even easier for the continent’s larger nations to qualify. After a disastrous year, the Netherlands look set to be the campaign’s biggest casualty.

About the Author – Greg Lea

Freelance football writer. Work published by FourFourTwo, The Guardian, World Soccer, Goal, The National, Squawka, Eurosport, The Blizzard + others.

Twitter @GregLeaFootball

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